The present application relates to air cleaners. It particularly concerns air cleaners having a housing comprising two sections which, together, enclose an air filter element. The invention concerns a preferred arrangement for securing two housing sections to one another. The invention also concerns methods of assembly and use.
Air cleaner assemblies are widely utilized in connection with intake air flow, for example to internal combustion engines. Air cleaners are used on such equipment as: heavy duty trucks; construction equipment, (for example, graders, bulldozers, and backhoes); agricultural equipment (for example, tractors and combines); off-road vehicles; buses; light duty trucks; automobiles; special equipment (for example, forklifts and loaders); and other types of equipment (for example, lawn tractors). The engines for such systems generally use an air cleaner, which may vary in size and capacity, depending on the system. For systems generally utilizing an 8-inch air cleaner, the engines are typically about 5 liters and have a horse power of typically about 100 hp.
A purpose of the air cleaner, in such systems, is generally to filter incoming air to the engine, in order to protect engine parts from damage. In general, the air cleaners comprise housings having removable and replaceable filter elements positioned therein. The filter elements in many systems have generally circular or cylindrical configurations and are operated in a xe2x80x9cforward flowxe2x80x9d manner; i.e., with filtering flow from an exterior of the element to an interior. For equipment of the type described above, often the air flow rates through the air cleaners are the order of about 30 to 350 CFM (cubic feet per minute) (about 0.8-10 cubic meters per minute), depending on whether the engines are idling or under load. To accommodate the desired filter lifetime, filter efficiency needs and space limitations, generally filter element diameters on the order of 3.0 to 8.5 inches (about 75-210 mm) are commonly used with such equipment. Such filter elements generally weigh from 200 grams to 1200 grams new (clean), and can gain in weight by up to 3 times or more during use. Air cleaner housings having diameters of at least 4 to 10 inches (about 100-1000 mm), and lengths of 7.5 to 24 inches (about 100-600 mm), for such equipment, are relatively common. It is for use with such air cleaners as the ones described in this and the previous paragraph that arrangements according to the present invention were particularly developed. That is, the invention is particularly suitable for such systems, although it may be applied to others.
Air cleaners of the type described in the previous two paragraphs are regularly and routinely serviced. In some instances, air filter elements are removed and are either cleaned or replaced. Also, in some instances the interior chamber of the air cleaner is cleaned of materials such as leaves, settled dust, etc. To facilitate installation and servicing, air cleaner arrangements are constructed so that they can be opened and elements can be installed and removed.
Typically, to facilitate assembly and service, air cleaner housings are constructed in two major portions: a main body member section; and, a cover. Generally, the cover is non-threadably mounted on the body section, to enclose the air cleaner body. A variety of arrangements have been used to secure the cover to the housing, in air cleaners of the type characterized above, including, for example: bolt systems; metal latches; and plastic latch arrangements.
According to the disclosure of U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684, an air cleaner assembly is provided. The air cleaner assembly generally includes a body member and a removable cover. The assembly includes a lock assembly for selectively securing the removable cover to the body member. The preferred lock assembly is rotation activated. That is, the cover is secured in engagement with the body member, and is released from engagement, based upon selected rotational movement of the cover, relative to the body member. For a preferred arrangement of U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684, the lock assembly is constructed so that movement between locked and unlocked orientations occurs with relatively little rotational movement, on the order of only about 5xc2x0 to 25xc2x0.
Preferred lock assemblies according to U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684 are positioned such that no portion of them is directly xe2x80x9cexposedxe2x80x9d to the exterior environment when the system is engaged, i.e., when the cover is locked onto the body member. By this, it is meant that when the cover is locked onto the body member, the portions which comprise the lock assembly are positioned underneath the cover, and are not directly exposed to the exterior environment or elements. Thus, the housing preferably includes no apertures therein oriented over the lock assembly. This means, inter alia, that snow, ice, road tar, mud, etc. will be less likely to interfere with the smooth operation of the locking assembly. Herein, when the term xe2x80x9cinternal lock assemblyxe2x80x9d is used, it is meant that the lock assembly is positioned or contained under a protective outer surface or outer surfaces of the housing, having no apertures therein, when the lock assembly is assembled and locked. The term xe2x80x9cinternalxe2x80x9d when used in this context refers to protection under any portion of the cover and/or body member, as long as direct external exposure, through an aperture or otherwise, is not involved.
For typical applications, the body member defines an open air cleaner interior and includes an air flow inlet. Typically, the air flow inlet will be a side inlet, although alternatives are usable. The body member generally includes a sidewall and an endwall. The sidewall is sized to receive at least a portion of a removable and replaceable air filter element therein, during use. The insertion of the air filter element, into the body member, is through an open end defined by the sidewall.
Typical air cleaner arrangements according to U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684 include an air flow outlet through which filtered air flows from the air cleaner in its path to downstream equipment such as a vehicle engine. The air flow outlet may comprise a piece snap fit to a remainder of the body member; or, it may be constructed integral with the body member.
In a preferred arrangement as described and shown in U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684, the rotation activated lock assembly comprises a lug-and-socket or foot-and-holder lock arrangement, including a socket or foot arrangement and a lug or holder arrangement. The socket or foot arrangement is mounted on a first one of the body member and cover; and, the lug or holder arrangement is mounted on a second one of the body member and cover. The socket or foot arrangement and the lug or holder arrangement are arranged such that, during locking, portions of the socket or foot arrangement are secured in place by portions of the lug or holder arrangement. A preferred arrangement of U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684 is such that, upon rotation to the unlocked orientation, disengagement between those portions of the socket or foot arrangement and the lug or holder arrangement occurs.
In preferred assemblies according to U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684, the socket or foot arrangement comprises a plurality of L-shaped feet or foot members (i.e. sockets) positioned on the cover; and, the lug or holder arrangement comprises a plurality of holders (or lugs) positioned on the body member. According to U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684 preferably the L-shaped foot members (sockets) are evenly, radially, spaced; and, the holders (lugs) are also evenly radially spaced.
Certain preferred configurations for the holders (lugs) and L-shaped feet (sockets), to accommodate convenient locking, convenient unlocking, and convenient manufacture were identified in U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684. To facilitate locking, the configuration of the holders (lugs) is selected such that each holder (lug) has a pair of spaced projections thereon defining a recessed, concave or slot portion which receives, in frictional engagement, a locking projection, bead or detent, during locking.
In certain embodiments of U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684, the holders (lugs) rest and are trapped, over-center, in recesses in the feet (sockets). As such, the locking assembly in preferred embodiments operates as an xe2x80x9cover-centerxe2x80x9d lock. By xe2x80x9cover-center lockxe2x80x9d, it is meant a lock where the maximum torsion or bearing force occurs during relative passage over the center between the holders (lugs) and the feet (sockets), but is relieved on opposite sides of the center, i.e., in a locked, or unlocked, orientation.
According to the disclosure of U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684, a method of securing a cover onto an air cleaner embodiment is provided. The method preferably involves orienting the cover in covering relation to an end of the body member; and, rotating the cover to the locked orientation. Preferably, the locked orientation is obtained by use of a preferred rotational oriented locking assembly as described; and, is a non-threaded arrangement.
According to U.S. Ser. No. 08/928,684 in certain embodiments, an engagement finger assembly or construction is provided. The engagement finger construction includes a member slideable into a position that inhibits unlocking of the locking assembly, when selectively positioned.
An air cleaner assembly is provided. The air cleaner assembly includes a body member and a removable cover. A rotation activated lock assembly is provided having a first unlocked orientation and a second locked orientation. The cover is separable from the body member when the lock assembly is in the first, unlocked orientation. The cover is secured to the body member when the lock assembly is in the locked orientation. The rotation activated lock assembly is constructed and arranged to selectively move between the unlocked orientation and the locked orientation by rotational movement of the cover relative to the body member. The rotation activated lock assembly includes a holder arrangement and feet. Preferably, the holder arrangement includes a plurality of holders. Each of the feet has a segment oriented to engage a selected one of the holders during locking.
Preferably, in certain embodiments, each of the holders is p-shaped, each having a tail extending generally perpendicular to a direction of rotation of the cover relative to the body member during locking. In preferred arrangements, each of the feet includes a banana-shaped segment oriented to engage a selected one of the p-shaped holders during locking. Each tail of each p-shaped holder extends sufficiently far to block rotation of the cover, relative to the body member, by engagement with a portion of a selected foot beyond a selected amount of rotation, during locking.
In other aspects, an air cleaner assembly is provided having a body member, a removable cover, and a rotation activated lock assembly. The rotation activated lock assembly includes a holder arrangement and a plurality of feet. The holder arrangement comprises a plurality of holders, each holder preferably comprising an outer perimeter wall arrangement defining a central hollow. Preferably, each of the feet includes a segment oriented to engage a selected one of the holders during locking.
In certain preferred embodiments, a moveable engagement finger is provided to be selectively positionable between engaged and release positions. When in the engaged position, the engagement finger is preferably positioned to secure a selected holder between a portion of the engagement finger and a selected foot member to prevent rotational movement of the cover relative to the body member. When in the release position, the engagement finger is preferably releasing a selected holder to allow selected rotational movement of the cover relative to the body member.
In other aspects, a method of securing a cover member to a body member is provided. The method includes a step of covering an open end of a body member with a cover and rotating the cover relative to the body member. Preferably, a step of depressing an engagement finger into an engagement position, to block unintended reverse rotation of the cover relative to the body member, is conducted.